Ongoing The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame houses over 2,000 artifacts and information about more than 400 remarkable women. The $21 million, 33,000 square foot museum honors women who have distinguished themselves while exemplifying the pioneer spirit of the American West. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, & New Year’s Day. Gen. Ad. $10, seniors & youths 3-12, $8, children 2 & under, free with paid adult admission. 1720 Gendy St., 817-336-4475, 800-476-3263, www.cowgirl.net.
Ongoing Fort Worth Stockyards Historical District-The Texas Longhorn Cattle Drive occurs twice daily, weather permitting, but they don’t mosey along on major holidays. Herders dressed in 19th-century cowboy gear drive 15 to 17 head of cattle down Exchange Ave. Best viewing areas for the 11:30 a.m. & 4 p.m. drives are the front lawn of the Livestock Exchange Bldg. or across the street near the Stockyards Visitor’s Center. Free. Along E. Exchange Ave., 817-336-4373, www.fortworthherd.com.
Ongoing Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s steam engine “Puffy” and the 1953 GP-7 diesel locomotive, runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to and from the Fort Worth Stockyards and back again to its starting point in Grapevine. The Grapevine to the Stockyards run departs Grapevine at 1 p.m. and arrives in the Stockyards at 2:30 p.m. The return trip departs the Stockyards at 4:45 p.m. and arrives in Grapevine at 6:15 p.m. Robbers have been known to board the train as it makes its way from Grapevine to Fort Worth. The hour-long Trinity River Run-leaving from the Stockyards-is 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the Grapevine to Fort Worth Run are Gen. Ad. $20, seniors 55+, $18, and children, 3-12, $10. Tickets for the Trinity River run are Gen. Ad. $10, seniors $9, and children $6. One-way tickets are available for both runs. Plan to be at the depot 30 minutes before departure time. Depots are located in Grapevine at 707 S. Main St., open 11 a.m.-1 p.m., & the Fort Worth Stockyards Station, noon-4:30 p.m., at 140 E. Exchange Ave. 817-410-3123, or www.gvrr.com.
Ongoing Ft. Worth Botanic Garden-Wander among trees, flowers and along waterways of the 109-acre park. An exhibition greenhouse and two gift shops are two detours in the journey. The main gardens are free & open daily from dawn until dusk. A small fee is required for the 7.5 acre Japanese garden, which is open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and offers tours that take about an hour. A small fee is also required for the conservatory-open Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. & Sun. 1-6 p.m. The Gardens Restaurant is on site. Off University Dr. at 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., 817-871-7689, www.fwbg.org.
Ongoing Ft. Worth Trinity Park-The Log Cabin Village living history museum depicts the lifestyle of pioneers who settled this area in the mid-to-late 1800s. Hrs: Tues.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 1-5 p.m. Gen. Ad. $4.50, seniors & youths 4-17, $4, children under 4, free. 2100 Log Cabin Village Ln., 817-392-5881, www.logcabinvillage.org.
Ongoing The Ft. Worth Zoo, home to more than 500 animal species and a world-famous reptile collection, housed in the Museum of Living Art, is ranked no. 5 in the nation by USA Travel Guide and the no. 1 attraction in the DFW Metroplex by the Zagat survey. “Texas Wild!” an 8-acre area of the Zoo, allows guests to encounter more than 300 creatures and visit 6 different regions of the Lone Star State in just hours. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Zoo is also open Thanksgiving & Christmas from noon to 4 p.m. & New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General Admission is $12, seniors 65+ and children 3-12, $9. Ticket price includes entry into “Texas Wild!” Parking $5. Half-price tickets are available every Wednesday. 1989 Colonial Pkwy. For more information call, 817-871-7050, or go to www.fortworthzoo.org.
Ongoing The Christian Arts Commission of Fort Worth’s Museum is now home for the wax sculpture based on Leonardo da Vinci’s tempera wall masterpiece in Milan titled The Last Supper. The sculpture has not been exhibited since 1997 and was put back on display Aug. 7, 2009. One of the few works of art featuring Jesus and all twelve disciples, Katherine Stubergh sculpted these life size figures in 1956, which was commissioned by Fort Worth oilman William Fleming. The Museum also holds a wall of 28 crosses of Christendom in puddle bronze and burnished copper. Open Wed. through Sat. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free. Donations welcome. For more info go to www.cacmuseum.org. 3205 Hamilton Ave., 817-332-7878.
Ongoing Fort Worth’s history is housed in the nearly 100-year-old Fire Station No. 1 building located in the City Center Complex. This Fort Worth Museum of Science & History exhibit traces Fort Worth’s development from its beginning as a frontier outpost, through its rowdy youth as a cattle town to the present. The exhibit features graphics, historical artifacts, photographs and documents, reproduced paintings and original posters. Hrs. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Free. Corner of 2nd & Commerce Sts., 817-255-9300.
Through Feb. 26 Jubilee Theatre presents Charlayne Woodard’s Pretty Fire, a young girl’s coming of age story set in five autobiographical vignettes beginning with her birth and ending with her first solo performance in her church’s junior choir. Woodard draws characters who fill the stage with laughter, haunting memories, and the pure joy of innocence. For performance dates and ticket prices call 817-338-4411 or go to www.jubileetheatre.org. 506 Main St.
Through April 1 Fort Worth Museum of Science and History presents “Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island.” “This is the first time that Galveston’s legacy as a port of entry has been fully explored on a national scale,” explains Van A. Romans, president of the FWMSH. “Everyone knows the role …Ellis Island played in American history. Few people know that long before Ellis Island processed its first immigrant, Galveston had been the port of entry to hundreds of thousands of people who helped settle Texas and the American Midwest.” The exhibition features over 200 original artifacts and documents. Galveston was the gateway to immigrants from Europe, Mexico, South and Central American, and Asia. “Forgotten Gateway…” was created by the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and guest curator Dr. Suzanne Seriff, a museum consultant and anthropologist, and senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin. Museum admission also includes the “Forgotten Gateway…” General admission $14, seniors 60+ and children 2-12, $10. For more info call 817-255-9300 or visit www.fortworthmuseum.org. 1600 Gendy St.
Fridays & Saturdays Four Day Weekend is a six-member comedy troupe in Fort Worth who specializes in interactive performance, building each show around audience suggestions and participation. Through the use of interactive video, music and the improvisational skills of the talented cast, Four Day Weekend has created the longest-running live show in Fort Worth’s history. In addition to weekly live public performances in their 212-seat theater, Four Day Weekend also offers a wide variety of corporate event services, from team building seminars to keynote addresses. Come see the talent people are talking about! Show Tickets $20. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. 312 Houston St., 817-226-4329. www.fourdayweekend.com.
Saturdays Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge offers naturalist-led nature hikes that feature blooming wildflowers, commonly seen insects, birds, and animals and current projects going on at the Refuge. Water and appropriate clothing are suggested. Cost is $5. From 10 a.m.-noon. 9601 Fossil Ridge Rd., 817-392-7410, www.fwnaturecenter.org.
1-25 Circle Theatre presents Secrets of a Soccer Mom by Kathleen Clark. The comedy features three women who take to the field in a “mothers vs. sons” soccer game. Contains some strong language. For times and tickets call 817-877-3040 or visit www.circletheatre.com. 230 W. 4th St.
3,4,10,11,17,18,24,25 Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District Cowtown Coliseum hosts the Stockyards Championship Rodeo. 8 p.m. Reserved box seats & VIP $20, Gen. Ad. $15, seniors 60+, $12.50 & children 3-12, $10. 121 E. Exchange Ave., 817-625-1025, www.StockyardsRodeo.com.
3-5,10-12, 17-19, & 24-26 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s film series “Magnolia at the Modern” screens critically acclaimed films. Le Havre can be seen the 3-5. A man who makes his living shining shoes takes an African boy who arrives on a cargo ship in the port city of Le Havre, into his home. (93 min.: French with English subtitles). Fri. 6 & 8 p.m., Sat. 5 p.m. & Sun. noon, 2 & 4 p.m. Feb. 10-12 is Oscar Nominated Shorts 2011. Fri. at 6 p.m. see an animated program; at 8 catch a live action program. Animated programs are also on Sat. at 5 p.m. and Sun. at 2 p.m. with another live action program at 8 p.m. A Separation, by Asghar Farhadi, screens the 17-19. A couple must decide whether to improve their child’s life by moving to another country or whether to stay in Iran and look after a parent suffering from Alzheimer’s. (PG-13, 123 minutes; Persian with English subtitles). Fri. 6 & 8:15 p.m., Sat. 5 p.m. & Sun. noon, 2:15 & 4:30 p.m. The show for the 24-26 is Being Elmo. Meet Kevin Clash the man who is the heart and soul of the Muppet Elmo. A favorite documentary from the Sundance Film Festival of 2011. (PG for some mild language including a brief drug reference.) Fri. 6 & 8 p.m., Sat. 5 p.m. & Sun. noon, 2 & 4 p.m. For a limited time all Sunday noon films are half-price. With a movie ticket and the purchase of an entrée receive a free mimosa, bloody Mary or non-alcoholic beverage in Café Modern. For more info call 817-738-9215 or go to www.themodern.org. 3200 Darnell St.
7,14,21,28 The Winter and Spring Tuesday Evenings at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s lecture series is led by different artists, architects, historians, and critics. On the seventh, artist Glenn Ligon, whose exhibition “Glenn Ligon: AMERICA” is presently on view at the Modern and curator Scott Rothkopf of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, will lead the session. Art historian and senior lecturer at Texas State University, San Marcos, Andrew Campbell, speaks on the fourteenth. Tim Rollins, artist, activist, and teacher directs the program on the twenty-first, and on the twenty-eighth Katie Paterson, artist, guides the group. To assure a seat, pick up a free admission ticket at the Modern’s admissions desk at 5 p.m. the day of the lecture. Seating is limited to 250 guests: seating begins at 6:30 p.m. and sessions begin at 7. The Museum galleries and Café Modern remain open until 7 on Tuesday evenings during the series. For more info, call 817-738-9215 or visit www.themodern.org. 3200 Darnell St.
9-Mar. 18 Stage West Theatre’s cast performs Larry Herold’s The Sports Page. A comedic look back to 1966 when the first female reporter arrived at Dallas Cowboys training camp and upended the good ol’ boys club. For times and tickets call 817-784-9378 or visit www.stagewest.org. 821 W. Vickery Blvd.
10-26 A cast from Casa Mañana’s Children’s Theatre performs E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. Visit the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Arable, their son Avery and daughter Fern and their friends Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider. For times and tickets call 817-332-2272 or go to www.casamanana.org. 3101 W. Lancaster Ave.
11-May 13 The Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents more than 100 of Charles M. Russell’s finest and best-preserved watercolors in an exhibition titled “Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles M. Russell.” This is the first time that so many of Russell’s Old West works of art have been exhibited together. “His advice to a fellow artists to ‘cinch your saddle on romance,’ defined his work, where vivid subjects culled from his own youthful experiences were fused with the power of his artistic imagination to create unforgettable images of the mythic American frontier.” Free admission. For more info, call 817-738-1933 or go to www.cartermuseum.org. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.
11-May 13 Sid Richardson Museum’s exhibition, Charles M. Russell: Watercolorist, features the work of the iconic artist of the 19th century American West. Watercolors are considered to be among his finest efforts, and 16 are in this rare exhibition launching the 30th anniversary year of the museum. Learn about Russell’s process for creating his watercolors. Call for tour information. Free. Open daily. 309 Main St., www.sidrichardsonmuseum.org or 888-332-6554.
12-June 3 Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents “Glenn Ligon: AMERICA.” Ligon (b. 1960) is considered one of the most influential American artists of the last two decades. Organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art and curator Scott Rothkopf, in collaboration with the artist, the exhibition looks at his work over 25 years: from his days as a student to the present. The nearly 100 works include paintings, prints, photography, drawings, and sculptural installations, as well as his recent neon reliefs and the seminal Door paintings that launched his career. A full-color catalogue with more than 200 illustrations is available in the bookstore. The National Committee of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts provides major support for the exhibition. For more info call 817-738-9215 or go to www.themodern.org. 3200 Darnell St.
23 The Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents Family Funday where exciting activities are waiting for the whole family especially exploring the artwork in the galleries and making your own masterpiece. From 6 p.m. to 7. Free admission. For more info, call 817-738-1933 or go to www.cartermuseum.org. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.
24 The Amon Carter Museum of American Art features Dr. Rick Stewart, former director and curator of Western Paintings and Sculpture, whose topic is “Charlie Goes to Hollywood: Making Myth on the Celluloid Trail.” Discover Charles M. Russell’s influence on the big screen and in popular culture during the early 1920s. The subject is in conjunction with the Carter’s current exhibition. Dr. Stewart will sign copies of his new book Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles M. Russell after the lecture. From 10:30 a.m. to 11:30. Since seating is limited reservations are required. Call 817-989-5030 or e-mail vistors@cartermuseum.org to register. Free admission. 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd.
24 Billy Bob’s Texas-Robert Earl Keen. Tickets $15 & $22. 10:30 p.m. 2520 Rodeo Plaza, 817-624-7117, www.billybobstexas.com.
24-26 The Annual Rose Marine Latino Film Festival was created to celebrate and revive the Latino history of Fort Worth’s Rose Marine Theater by showcasing international, independent Latino films. This three-day festival brings together the community with some of the best in emerging cinematic artists for a celebration of film and Latino culture. For more info, go to www.rosemarinelatinofest.com 1440 N. Main St.
24-Mar. 11 Theatre Arlington presents a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory titled Willy Wonka Jr. Memorable songs include “Pure Imagination,” and the “Candyman.” This delightful all-youth musical is perfect for the young at heart. For times and tickets call 817-275-7661 or go to www.theatrearlington.org. 305 W. Main St., Arlington, TX 76010..
25 Billy Bob’s Texas-B.B. King. Tickets $20, $40 & $50. 10:30 p.m. 2520 Rodeo Plaza, 817-624-7117, www.billybobstexas.com.
